Prizes and Awards

Prizes will be awarded for all racing categories with FIVE OR MORE entries, by boat type or by crew class.

Where there are seven or more entries in one category, a 2nd prize will also be awarded.

Where there are fewer than five entries, crews will be combined with the next relevant category. For example, if fewer than five veteran women’s crews enter, they will be combined with the senior women’s category; if fewer than five Slaney Cots enter, they will be combined with the Wooden four-oared boats category.

PRIZES:

Prizes are awarded within the specific course lengths, according to the order crossing the finish line (e.g. 1st Ocean Prize, 1st City Prize).

Finally, prizes are also awarded by crew class according to the order in which crews cross the line (e.g., 1st Female Crew – City course; 1st Veteran Crew – Ocean course).

NOTES:

The Ocean to City boat handicapping has been adapted from the system used for London’s Great River Race. Handicaps are based on boat type, and do not take the crew’s age, gender or ability into account.

Crews can win a maximum of two prizes, based on the following sequence of importance: (1) 1st Course Prize (2) 1st Boat Type Prize (3) 1st Crew Class Prize (age/gender based). If a crew is eligible for more than two prizes, the third and succeeding awards will roll over to the next crew in line. For example, this means that a veteran currach crew can win 1st Ocean Course and 1st Ocean Currach, but the 1st Veteran Ocean Prize would be awarded to the next fastest Veteran crew.

Crew class prizes (age/gender based) are awarded across boat types within the same course (Ocean, City or Monkstown).
Relay and non-relay crews do not compete within the same prize categories.

Please note that prizes need to be collected in person at the Prize Giving. Prizewinners are responsible for the cost of postage of returning perpetual prizes to Ocean to City.

Special Awards exist to recognise special achievements. Special awards may be included / excluded from year to year and are discretionary. They include: Boat Builder of the Day Prize, Best Community-built Boat Prize, Boat of the Day Prize, Best Dressed Prize (Adult & Youth)

PRIZE CATEGORIES:

Prize categories and sub-categories are as follows:

This method allows for traditional boats to be celebrated in tandem with competitive types.

For example, a female veteran crew in a Celtic Longboat on the Ocean Course, would be eligible for the following prizes: 1st Ocean Prize, 1st Celtic Longboat – Ocean, 1st Female Crew – Ocean, 1st Veteran Crew – Ocean (providing that there are five or more entries in each category).

Because of their different nature, kayaks, canoes, dragon boats, sliding-seat and outrigger boats are not started on a handicap pursuit basis and therefore have their own dedicated sub-races within the race. The following rules apply:

Prizes will be awarded for all race categories with FIVE OR MORE entries, by boat type or by crew class.

Where there are seven or more entries in one category, a 2nd prize will also be awarded.

Where there are fewer than five entries, participants will be combined with the next relevant category. For example, if fewer than five veteran women kayaks enter, they will be combined with the senior women kayaks; if fewer than five touring kayaks enter, they will be combined with the racing kayaks.

Participants can win a maximum of two prizes, based on the following sequence of importance: (1) Fastest Course Prize (2) Fastest Boat Type Prize (3) Fastest Class Prize (age/gender based). If a third or fourth prize is won it will roll over to the next in line. For example, this means that a veteran touring paddler can win 1st City Kayak and 1st Touring Kayak – City, but the 1st Veteran Kayak – City would be passed on to the to the next fastest Veteran paddler.

A range of different start times are given, however, this practice is for safety purposes only and aims to keep the Ocean to City fleet together in as much as possible. For example, kayaks are started in three different groups. This means that the first kayak crossing the finish line may not win 1st Kayak Prize. It is the fastest course time within the category that counts.

Please note that prizes need to be collected in person at the Prize Giving. Prizewinners are responsible for the cost of postage of returning perpetual prizes to Ocean to City.